FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis and FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger stressed the need for a renewed commitment to investing in women’s football and youth development when they addressed the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada.

Jill Ellis and Arsène Wenger, both former elite title-winning coaches, emphasised that the future of the game depends on bold leadership and a commitment to structured pathways for the next generation of players.

Former United States women’s national team coach Jill Ellis delivered a powerful case for the continued expansion of the women’s game, framing it as a strategic necessity rather than a mere obligation.

“The most successful leaders don’t wait for perfect conditions. They recognise opportunity, and they act decisively,” the two-time FIFA Women's World Cup winner said. “Women’s football is that opportunity. The numbers confirm what the streets already know. Two billion watched the last (FIFA) Women’s World Cup. Over one million Brazilians – saw Corinthians face Arsenal in the (FIFA) Women’s Champions Cup final. Seventy-five thousand filled the stadium last month in the (AFC) Women's Asian Cup final. These aren’t just numbers, they’re signals. The audience is here, and the demand is real.

Jill Ellis, who won two FIFA Women’s World Cup™ titles as head coach of the United States, said the old mindset that women’s football is a secondary concern needed to be challenged.

“Women’s football has arrived and it sits at the heart of a broader ambition; to make football truly global,” she stated.

“For some, women’s football is seen, still, as an obligation. That mindset doesn’t just limit progress, it misses the point. Investing in women’s football is not something you have to do – it’s one of the smartest decisions you can make: economically, competitively, and for national identity.

“Football fans don’t celebrate men or women, they celebrate heroes doing extraordinary things, and those acts bring people together.”, she added.

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup heading to South America for the first time in 2027 as Brazil hosts the tournament, the FIFA Chief Football Officer urged football leaders from across the world to seize the moment.

“The federations that recognise this opportunity today will be the champions of tomorrow. The ones who invest, who build, who believe will be the ones lifting trophies, making history,” she said. “So, be bold. Bet on the future of women’s football.”

Mr Wenger provided an update on the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), revealing that 193 FIFA Member Associations (MAs) have signed up to the programme, which currently supports 600 tailored talent projects worldwide and 55 active FIFA talent academies.

The former long-time Arsenal FC manager emphasised at success on the international stage is impossible without a comprehensive youth structure.

“What [we do know] today more about world football is that all successful countries have a complete talent development pathway from youth to senior level – it’s needed for success,” he said.

A key focus of Mr Wenger’s address was the need to reach players at a younger age to ensure they are mentally and physically equipped for the modern game. He highlighted a significant gap in current structures, noting that only one in 14% of all countries has regular Under-12 competitions.

“We want to make that pool bigger and have regular [Under-12] competitions everywhere in the world,” he explained.

The vision for the future includes the launch of the the launch of the FIFA U-15 festival-style tournaments for boys and girls, which Mr Wenger believes will be a “huge positive experience for the youth from all over the world to start to play together”.

Separately, by making sure training frequency is in all countries six or seven sessions per week for talented players aged 12 and over, Mr Wenger also hopes to help more countries produce a new generation of talent.